YOUTH: THE ENERGY OF PEACE

Abstract:
“Gives me one thousand of old men, then I would pulled off Semeru
Mountain from its root. Gives me ten of young men, then I would be able to
change the world” Those words are said by the Proclamator of Republic of
Indonesia, Soekarno. A true leader will understand how important youth as a
significant agent of change. If we want a better world, then we have to be able to
shape the young generation in to their maximum potential. Youth has a very
powerful energy to be able to create a peaceful world, however they also are a
group of targeted population to join extremist groups. The goverment has the
responsibility to empower the youth to energize the peace.

Introduction
Youth are the key actors to contribute of the peacebuilding and sustainable
development. While peacebuilding is supposed to heal the social wounds of war,
fix the systems that create destructive conflict, and keep people safe, critical
studies have exposed the limitations of statist, liberal peacebuilding project in
regard. Despite this increased critical attention, youth voices and experiences are
still far from integrated or understood in critical security or other scholarly
deliberations about peace praxis 1.
Rather than focusing on maximising short-term security efforts, evidence
shows that long-term community based development initiatives that address the
complex push and pull factors causing a small minority of youth to engage in
violence can actually increase youth voices and strengthen youth participation in
peacebuilding2.

Gives the Space for Youth Aspiration, Innovation and Idea

As the older generation, right now youth shows the significant increase of
interest in political issues and even become a part of a political party. This shows

1
Berents, Helen & McEvoy-Levy, Siobhan. 2015. Theorising Youth and Everyday Peace.
Peacebuilding, 3(2):115-125.
2
Devex-Youth Will (http://pages.devex.com/youth-will.html)
a great effect of democratic goverment where the youth’s voices are being heard.
Youth can be a part of the decision maker along with the older generation, with
their innovation and spirit into a new world. In the part of political issues, youth
has bigger responsibilities toward their environment and to develop their integrity
to achieved their vision of their own country.

Building Effective Programme on Youth, Peace and Security to Prevent

Extremist in Young Generation
USAID’s report, Development Assistanve and Counter Extremism: A Guide
to Programming, idenfies 6 steps to identify the drivers of extremism in order to
determine the appropriate strategy. There are:
1. Determine the characteristics of the violence phenomenon in the setting
being analyzed.
2. Asses whether prevention or mitigation is the main task and whether
recruitment, community support or an enabling environment that permits
violent groups to operate are the most pressing concern.
3. Identify which populations, geographycal areas, and/or institutions are
particularly vulnerable and why.
4. Ascertain those social processes and group dynamics that are critical to
facilitating or undermining recruitment and/or community support.
5. Determine the political, socioeconomic and cultural drivers for those
affecting youth and asses their salience after reviewing the analysis in
Steps 1 through 4.
6. Prioritize drivers and locations, and determine development assistance
and strategic communications interventions. This may entail a further
step of a Threat Assessment Matrix template (featured in the USAID
report) for the pratitioner to identify the type of drivers3.

3
Youth Power, USAID. 2016. Promising Practices in Engaging Youth in Peace and Security and
Peace.
 AUTHOR IDENTITY

Full Name : Hamidah Indrihapsari

Email Address : indrihamidah@gmail.com
Mobile Number : +6285736392136
Country of Residence: Indonesia
Passport Number : B8674628